Zia- Lucia has always wondered where her name came from. Brought up by her elderly grandparents when her mum died she now looks through papers she has found with her grandmothers things.
This leads her to taking a holiday to Italy where she hopes she will find out more about her mother and maybe even who her father is.
This is one of those books that you just can't put down. I could feel the Italian heat, smell the garlic and taste the wine. A mystery with a romance thrown in for good measure. I really enjoyed the story.

I flew through this book because Zia's life was so intriguing. This book tells the story of finding her roots in Italy after her mother and grandparents pass away. Zia takes off to Italy with her best friend Ursula and wind up finding out some of Zia's past and changes her life.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Having lived in Italy many years ago (although not Umbria where this book is set) I was happily whisked back to those days with this brilliant story - the setting was definitely one of the main characters for me! We meet Zia who travels from England to find out the truth behind her family heritage and it turns out to be far more complicated than she could ever have imagined. She meets and falls for Piero who is trying to save his house in the middle of trouble at his family's winery. This was cleverly written to weave various story threads together and was a quick read, drawing me in to read 'just one more chapter' each time. Another great read from Sue.

This was an enjoyable read. An escape to Italy during a lockdown - just what was needed. Add in some intrigue, family drama and romance and it's an excellent escapist read.
I liked the characters and could understand Zia wanting to find out more about her history.
I'd recommend this for a bedtime or wind-down read.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC to review.

Aww y’all this was just one of the sweetest books I have read in a while! I truly enjoyed every moment of it and I absolutely loved the author’s writing style. Great characters and an even better storyline.

A cosy romance.

A bit confusing at first with lot`s of names, people and places, but once you sorted them out I couldn`t put it down.
Zia`s mother died and left her with two birth certificates, she knew her mother had been to Italy and Zia had family there so she sets out to Umbria to see if anyone can fill her in on her family history and hope`s to find out anything about her dad.

A lovely description of Umbria that makes you want to visit straight away.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Welcome to Italy. A place that holds the answer to Zia-Lucia Costa Chalmers’ many questions. Not least, how she ended up with such a mouthful of a name. When Zia discovers that her mother wasn’t who she thought she was, she realises the time has come to search out the Italian family she’s never known. However, as she delves into the secrets of her past, she doesn’t bargain on having to think about her future too. But with local vineyard owner, Piero, living next door, Zia knows she has a serious distraction who may prove difficult to ignore.

The story had a good pace and it was well structured. The protagonist surrounds herself with a whole cast of secondary characters that made me feel all kinds of emotions while reading this book. We have here all kinds of characters: insecure, jealous, greedy, abusive, manipulative, deceiving... but also loyal and friendly people. However, the ratio of bad characters versus good ones was a bit unbalanced. It was a light story overall, with moments of intense drama.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

A delicious, escape to romantic Italy, this book has every ingredient necessary to banish the winter blues. Zia-Lucia discovers her birth mum is not who she believed but doesn't discover this until the death if the beloved grandmother who raised her . Cast adrift by thus knowledge and all the inherent questions, she decides to use her redundancy money and embarks on a voyage of discovery to beautiful Umbria. There she meets her namesake, who holds the keys to her past. Along the way , she encounters her handsome neighbour, Piero and finds another reason to reconnect with her Italian roots. This gorgeous book has all the hallmarks one expects from Sue Moorcroft, twists and turns, thwarted love, fabulous characters and a well crafted tale. Couldn't bear to say arriverderci!

Pure escapism. Another of Sue’s books set in Italy and it’s really good. Food, scenery, ambience, it’s a holiday without leaving the armchair! The plot is intriguing as well. Zia-Lucia is trying to find family she has never known,having found old letters which indicate she is not the person she believed herself to be. On holiday in Umbria with descriptions that bring Italy alive she finds herself feeling at home although she still has many obstacles to overcome. I found it hard to put down I was so absorbed. A lovely holiday book, highly recommended. Thanks to Avon Books and NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest opinion.

Pack your suitcase! We’re off to Italy with the talented Sue Moorcroft in, “Under The Italian Sun.” Moorcroft will transport you to Monteliberta in Umbria and welcome you to sit in the warm, sunbaked terrace as the sun slowly dips behind the mountains and the verdant green vines rustle as the wine glasses chink and the first cork of the evening is popped!

We join Zia-Lucia Costa Chalmers, a 30 year old orphaned Brighton girl, as she sets out to uncover her past. She’s hoping that Monteliberta will hold the answers to her many questions. Not least, how she ended up with such a mouthful of a name.

Need a top up? Some bruschetta? Andiamo!

A suitcase in her grandparents’ home holds clues that confuse Zia and are the catalyst for her trip to Italy. Zia has just lost her grandparents, who, in their 70s, lovingly raised her when her mother died as a result of a tragic accident. She has always been told that her father is Italian, but he’s not listed on her birth certificate. Encouraged and accompanied by her Irish friend, Ursula, the two head off to uncover Zia’s past, hopeful that Zia can find the future she’s always dreamed of having.

When she arrives in Monteliberta she soon discovers that the family is embroiled in a dispute over the vineyard. Can they set aside their differences to welcome Zia? Tell her about her father? Is two weeks long enough to uncover her past?

Known for her emotional, compelling and feel-good fiction, Moorcroft’s book is the perfect armchair travel for those of us itching to hop on a plane and head for the sunshine. Thank goodness for those with the capability to transport us to another part of the world through their craft at a time when travel is restricted worldwide.

Thank you to Sue Moorcroft, Avon Books UK, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Publishes May 13, 2021.

I love Sue Moorcroft books and this is no exception. Zia-Lucia suddenly discovers that everything she thought she knew about herself is totally false. She decides to go to Italy to find out the truth and everything changes for her.

An intriguing book with some mystery, miscommunications, and love. At points the story seemed to draw out too long, but all in all, it was a fun read with anticipation of what would unfold. Great characters and plot.

After finding out her mother isn't who she thought she was, Zia takes a life-altering trip to Italy to find out more about herself and the family she never knew. Things turn out to be way more difficult than Zia first thought; not only when it comes to family, but also for her future and the lives of those around her. Is staying in Italy actually what she wants? Is finding the family she never knew really worth it?

My rating for this is fluttering between a 3.5 and a 4, so I'm rating it a 4. This is my first Sue Moorcraft book and I do really hope to read more of her work in the future.

This book will definitely be a great summer romance, with an air of mystery, for 2021! A beautiful depiction of Italy; one of my favourite places I have ever been! It will be making you want to take a trip to an Italian vineyard and praying the owner is as handsome and swoon-worthy as Piero is.
The characters for the most part were great; they were well-rounded, had great stories, and were fleshed out completely However, for grown adults dealing with grown adult situations, I found some of the attitudes and way things were handled to be a bit petty. I understand that Zia had been going through a lot but some of her lashing out was not warranted to the people it was targeted at. She channeled anger at her best friend, Ursula, and Piero for things that didn't involve them. But then leaned her tolerance for BS in favour of her crappy ex-boyfriend, Brendan, who was a creep and extremely manipulative. For wanting to be done with him, I think she really dealt with too much from him throughout the whole of the book. I felt similarly about Ursula and her husband, Stephen, even though these were secondary characters.
The story itself was easy to follow and fairly enjoyable! It could be a bit slow at times and a bit of repetitive back and forth, especially when it came to Zia and Piero's relationship.
Sue created an amazing world for her story to take place in. I want to see what is next for Zia and her friends/family!

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Sue moorcroft has smashed it with this book. This is a fabulous read I would recommend to anyone. Amazing!

Sue Moorcroft has absolutely done it again! 'Under the Italian Sun' is another fabulous book with authentic characters, unexpected twists and the trademark humour that you can expect within any Sue Moorcroft book.

I had such high hopes for this book, but it was too slow for me. I really felt like this book dragged on and didn’t really see/feel the chemistry between Zia and Piero. I loved Lucia. Brendon just annoyed me and so did Zia’s reaction to him until way too late in the book. I would have enjoyed reading about Zia and Piero getting to know each other more in the beginning Instead of some of the “down time” I felt that there was. This was just an okay read for me, but I’m happy to see so many others loved it!

This was my first book by Sue Moorcroft and I was thoroughly impressed. The writing in this book was spectacular , and it made me want to visit Italy myself. There are only a small number of books where the setting adds to development of the book, and this is it. I really enjoyed the main character, and I enjoyed following her journey in finding her family. The development and the pacing in this book was very well done

All in all, I would highly recommend this book!

That was an amazing cosy romance, full of wine and sun. Lovely characters surrounded by a vineyard and sometimes by clouded Brighton. What I loved the most about the writing and the story, was that when you get mad at the characters' actions or the lack thereof (because let's be honest you will be), you can always justify it because of the solid background that the author has provided.
I will definitely try more of her books,

A fantastic read. This is the second book I’ve read by Sue Moorcroft and won’t be the last.
It’s a change from my usual thriller genre but I really like her style of writing. Easy to follow. A good story and relatable characters. Definitely recommend this book.

Zia-Lucia finds out that there were a few secrets in her family that meant she wasnt who she thought she was so she sets off to Italy to find out more about the other side of her family.
A lovely feel good story with a happy ending despite her ex trying to mess things up for her